Scots postmaster has conviction overturned as Post Office issues apology

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A former sub-postmaster wrongly convicted over the Horizon scandal says he can finally hold his head up high after a court overturned the case today.Robert Thomson, who was convicted in 2006, is one of hundreds of sub-postmaters prosecuted on the basis of the faulty Horizon IT system.The 64-year-old, from Alva, Clackmannanshire, is the fifth person in Scotland to have their post office conviction quashed.The dad was planning a trip to his local pub on Wednesday to celebrate the news his case - which had been due to go to appeal next week - had been quashed administratively.He said: “It’s 20 years I’ve been fighting this so it’s a big day today.

I’m a bit emotional. It’s going to take a while to sink in.“My family and I can walk the streets now with our heads held high instead of looking down at the ground.”More than 700 Post Office managers across the UK were convicted after the faulty Horizon accounting software, made by Fujitsu, made it look like money was missing from branches.Around 100 sub-postmasters in Scotland were convicted after they were wrongly accused of embezzling money and First Minister Humza Yousaf has pledged to get "justice" for those involved.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said legislation will be introduced to exonerate sub-postmasters convicted in England and Wales and vowed to get "justice and compensation" for victims.Robert took over the post office in Cambus, near Alloa, from his mother Margaret around 2000.He was prosecuted after an audit found an apparent shortfall of £5,700 and sentenced to 180 hours of community service.Robert’s mother died before he could officially clear his name and he blames the stress of the case for contributing to her death.He also previously told the Record how his